


Day 1 -- The Rape of Persephone

by MelayneSeahawk



Series: Wellymuck 2006 [1]
Category: Harry Potter - Rowling
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2006-04-01
Updated: 2006-04-01
Packaged: 2017-10-08 00:59:24
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 400
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/71073
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MelayneSeahawk/pseuds/MelayneSeahawk
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>storytime</p>
            </blockquote>





	Day 1 -- The Rape of Persephone

**Author's Note:**

> prompt: http://community.livejournal.com/wellymuck/981.html

"And then Demeter locked herself away and refused to come out until Persephone was returned, plunging the world into eternal winter," Ginevra Weasley said to Harry as Remus walked into the surprisingly cozy kitchen at Number 12 Grimmauld Place. "But Hades wouldn't give her back, so Zeus himself went down to the Underworld to force Hades to let Persephone go."

"But Persephone had eaten three pomegranate seeds, which made her a denizen of the Underworld, trapping her there forever. Hades allowed her to leave, but only on the condition that she spend three months every year in the Underworld with him as his wife. Demeter made those three months the winter we experience today in mourning," Remus finished for her, and Ginny and Harry looked up. "_Edith Hamilton's Mythology_ for History of Magic?" he asked, and Ginny nodded. "I suggest reading the story of Eros and Psyche; it has a happier ending, and it's much more seasonal." Remus poured himself a glass of water from the tap, enchanted it cold, and left the kitchen.

Remus knew Harry had followed him out of the room, but didn't turn back to look at him until they were safe in the library and away from Mrs. Black's malevolent portrait. Harry looked like he wanted to ask something, but couldn't find the right words. Remus let him mull for a few minutes while he stared unseeingly at the book he'd been not-reading for the last hour, an tense silence stretching between.

"You know we don't have the luxury of refusing to come out until someone fixes things," Remus said eventually, not looking up from the page in front of him. He knew he sounded horribly adult and hypocritical, but what else was he supposed to do? Harry turned away in disgust and stormed out of the library. "No matter how badly we want to," Remus added, the soft words almost echoing in the silence.

Remus picked up a piece of parchment from the end table next to his chair and transfigured it with a word, the rich, creamy parchment narrowing into a thick green stem and then furling out into six butter yellow petals around a darker gold trumpet like bell. Remus contemplated the daffodil for a moment and then carefully placed it in the abandoned glass of water and turned to stare out the dusty window, giving in to the urge to cry.


End file.
